Green Mountain Natural Health

Preventing Headaches and Migraines Naturally

by Bernie Noe, ND

Migraine headaches, which are caused by the dilation of blood vessels in the head, affect 18-30% of women and 6-20% of men. They differ from the more common tension headache in that the pain is usually throbbing rather than constant, and is frequently associated with visual disturbances or nausea and vomiting. The pain is typically also much more severe, with pain medications such as Tylenol or Advil offering little or no relief. Fortunately, there are several natural therapies which can be very effective in resolving both migraine and non-migraine headaches.

First and foremost, it is important to take a look at food allergies and sensitivities. Food allergies occur when the immune system reacts to foods in the same way it would to a foreign bacteria, and are a very common cause of headaches and migraines.

Food allergies occur most commonly to dairy, wheat, citrus, soy, peanuts, corn, yeast, chocolate, nightshades (potato, tomato, pepper, eggplant) and eggs. The list of potentially allergic foods, however, includes pretty much everything a person eats. The more frequently a food is eaten, the more likely it is to be a food allergen.

While most people think of a food allergy as an immediate, severe reaction such as when someone eats a peanut or strawberry and can't breathe, this reaction is relatively rare compared to the much more common delayed allergic reaction. Delayed reactions are caused by an IgG or IgA antibody (rather than the IgE antibody that causes the immediate and severe reactions), and can occur anywhere from a few minutes to a couple days after eating the allergic food. The reaction is generally much more insidious, such as getting a headache, skin rash, ear infection, asthma, irritable bowel, arthritis, runny nose, or other reaction. Most often people with delayed allergies don't realize they are allergic because of this and because they may be eating a variety of food allergens frequently.

The best way to determine if food allergies are a problem is either by a blood test or by following a food allergy elimination/challenge diet. In this diet potentially allergic foods are eliminated for a period of about two weeks and then are challenged one at a time to see if they provoke a headache or other symptom. While inexpensive and accurate, this can be a difficult and uncomfortable process to go through. For that reason, many people prefer the blood test. Blood tests are available to check up to 96 or more foods all at once and are covered by most health insurance plans.

Food sensitivities occur most commonly to chocolate, nuts, MSG, caffeine, alcohol, Nutrasweet, and tyramine containing foods such as wine and cheese. Nightshade family vegetables and nitrate containing foods such as cured meats and bacon can also cause difficulty. The best way to determine if any of these foods are problematic is to follow the elimination/challenge diet described previously.

Some people with headaches also suffer from hypoglycemia, a condition in which the blood sugar drops precipitously a couple hours after eating. Correcting this condition through diet is very important to the successful treatment of headaches. A low glycemic eating plan is generally very effective at preventing hypoglycemia and headaches caused by hypoglycemia, as well as depression and fatigue in many cases.

Another common dietary trigger for headaches and migraines is dehydration. A good general rule of thumb is that most people should drink 2 quarts of water per day (8 cups). A more specific rule is to take your weight and divide it by 2 to get the number of ounces of water per day you should drink. A 150 pound person would therefore drink 75 ounces of water per day.

In addition to the dietary treatments discussed above, there are a number of supplements that can be very effective in the treatment of migraine headaches. Feverfew, an herbal medication, is one of the best. It has been used for centuries to relieve migraines, fever, and arthritis. It has been studied extensively in recent times, and was found to help 70% of 270 migraine sufferers in a 1983 survey. For feverfew to be effective, however, it must be taken on a regular basis for four to eight weeks. It works by preventing migraines, not by relieving the pain of a migraine headache already underway.

Other treatments include magnesium, riboflavin (vitamin B2), butterbur (an herbal medicine), vitamin B6 and 5-hydroxy tryptophan, a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin. These last two supplements can be especially helpful to women who have migraine headaches which are associated with their menstrual cycle.

The most effective approach to the prevention and treatment of migraines and headaches generally includes a combination of the above mentioned therapies, and can take a couple months to be completely effective. Many people, however, can get significant or even complete relief within a few weeks by eliminating their food allergens or decreasing their intake of high glycemic foods.

Naturopathic doctors are physician experts in treating the underlying cause of disease and using natural medicines to help people get and stay well. To see a naturopathic doctor for assistance in working with any of the above therapies or to be tested for food allergies, please make a selection below.

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